


this fighter's heart loves deeply still

by guardyanangel



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Angst, F/M, Gen, S1M19, spoilers for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-08
Updated: 2014-06-08
Packaged: 2018-02-03 22:37:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1758697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guardyanangel/pseuds/guardyanangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A husband, a father, a Runner. And then, at last, a memory. [Spoilers for S1M19]</p>
            </blockquote>





	this fighter's heart loves deeply still

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Iron Zombies challenge, with the prompts being the following:
> 
> http://37.media.tumblr.com/0a60cbad3f881  
> http://oi62.tinypic.com/1zggt3o.jpg  
> http://oi61.tinypic.com/11buekw.jpg
> 
> Divider lyrics from "Hey Pretty Girl" by Kip Moore; title also inspired by song.

_They were on the Tube—it was surprisingly empty, but then, it was fairly early in the morning, still. Chris was certain the morning rush would hit soon enough, but for now, all was pretty quiet around them._

_It means that, at least until more people got on, they could sit with their legs outstretched and feet resting on the chair opposite them while Chris’ hand rested, tentative but loving, against Melanie’s stomach._

_“So,” he said, not for the first time, “We’re going to have a baby.”_

_“ **Yes** , love,” she answered, laughing as she pressed a kiss to his cheek._

_“Guess we should—start thinking about names then,” he managed to stutter out, “Make a list. D’you have any in mind?”_

_“I was thinking Bill, if it was a boy,” Melanie mused, “Or maybe Thomas.”_

_“And what about if it was a girl?”_

_“Oh, that’s easy,” she said, “I’ve had a name picked out since I was six.”_

_“Yeah? And what’s that, then?”_

_“Veronica.”_

-[hey pretty girl when i see the light]-

Chris woke up and, the dream of that day on the Tube still vivid in his mind, forgot for a blessed, beautiful few moments all thoughts of an apocalypse. But then, reality sank in, and he stifled the sob in his throat. Counted prime numbers in his head until he was able to force away the melancholy.

It took time, but he managed to shove away the ache enough to get up. He had work to do, after all—he was going to try to test his hypothesis and discover what the pattern was to the movements of the zoms, today. He couldn’t afford to be distracted.

Even as he headed out, he still couldn’t shake the feeling that the ghost of his wife was watching him.

He didn’t know it was because he’d be joining her soon enough.

-[it's my time to go]-

“ _Veronica… If you find her, tell her her Daddy loves her very much.”_

-[gonna thank the lord for a real good life]-

Before the apocalypse, Five had been someone who took to lighting a candle for loved ones lost, in memory. There are far too many dead for that to be done, now, and in any event everyone wants to save their candles. In fact, Runner Ten’s death is the first time Five’s  actually had a moment to stop and honour someone immediately after their death since the apocalypse—usually, if someone they knew died, it involved Five running off shortly afterwards. No time for candles or even a brief memorial.

But Abel had a small plot for the bodies of those who had died, and Runner Ten, Chris McShell, is the newest in a quietly growing number. And even though there are no candles, Five still has a way to honour the man now lost.

It had been a stroke of luck, that they’d managed to grab the photo at all, but it had been just by the table with the envelope, and without even thinking they’d picked it up. Now, Five placed the photograph on the newly dug dirt, bowing their head over the grave.

Soon enough, Five’d have to go and rest, and take the photo with them so it could be kept until the day they (hopefully) met Veronica McShell and got to tell her she was on her father’s mind at the very end.

For now, though, Five sat in the dimming twilight, gaze fixated on the photograph that captured a moment in another world. A world where the McShell family was alive, together, and smiling.

-[pretty little girl and a beautiful wife]-


End file.
